Month: August 2015

My circumstances have changed and I now have to move into my new place on Tuesday. The last few days has been a hectic dance of spending huge amounts of money I don’t have to furnish my soon-to-be-new-home. I’ve watched as my bank account was depleted and my credit stretched to its limit.

However, I’ve managed to get everything I need – except for possibly the small things I never think about because I’m used to having them. I think the new place will be rather comfortable.

My biggest worry (besides paying back the money I now owe) is how Dexter is going to react to the new place and the loss of most of his family.

I worry a lot about Dexter. He’s such a family oriented dog that I just don’t know what his reaction will be. I’ve seen dogs try to starve themselves when a family member goes absent. Plus he’ll be dealing with a new environment. I don’t think I could handle it if he was harmed in some way.

I’ve asked the Ex if she’d like to see him now and again but she hasn’t given me an answer yet. She told me she had to consult with her girls, who haven’t returned yet from summer vacation.

Anyhow, besides my sad-sack story, here’s a few pictures of Dexter wrangling with my new mop. It was pretty amusing watching him try to figure it out.

I’ll get you my pretty!

WTF! It spins?

Maybe if I stick my face in there I can figure this evil thing out

I’ll snap some pics of my new place when I get a chance. It’s not much, but it will soon be home.

Yes, I’d want free will. Right now I want to think I’m writing this post because I want to and I’ve made a conscious decision to sit down and tap at this keyboard.

However, wanting something doesn’t make it true. I don’t know whether I actually have free will or whether it’s an illusion produced by my brain. If asked right now, I’d probably say that free will is an illusion but it’s a handy one. Studies also suggest this could be true:

Now, a new study suggests that free will may arise from a hidden signal buried in the “background noise” of chaotic electrical activity in the brain, and that this activity occurs almost a second before people consciously decide to do something.

I often hear that atheism leads to lesser morals or that because atheists exist, America is on a godless spiral downward into oblivion.

It’s hard to imagine how the roughly 3% of the population that identify themselves as atheists has all this power, but it must be true.

After all, some Christian bloggers say it’s true.

Take this post by someone who literally says atheism has turned America to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Yes, that’s right – the 3% of atheists in America has led the country right into the shitter.

Damn you, small minority of atheists! Damn you!

America is now Sodom and Gomorrah reborn and atheism is to blame. It has infiltrated the West with its stupid ideology of a Godless existence, and we are all paying the prize for it. Our dear country founded on the rock of Peter has been demolished and we are being lead by men and women that do not have the fear of God in them.

I’m also not sure what ‘the fear of God’ would do. I mean, almost all of the politicians now in power are Christians. It doesn’t seem to stop them from saying hateful things or from passing laws (or trying to pass laws) that would continue oppressing minorities, such as same-sex couples.

But why let facts get in the way of a good rant against atheists.

Human beings no longer have patience, they shoot and kill other humans like animals. Men and women proudly stand at the mountain tops proclaiming their love of sin. Children are murdered by their own parents.

So what evidence do you have that Americans have less patience now than they did before, and how do you link that to atheism? Does atheism teach less patience? Because as far as I know, atheism is merely a lack of belief in God(s). It doesn’t teach squat.

As far as ‘shooting to kill’, I’m presuming you’re talking about the 1950’s to now. But if you look at the statistics, you’ll find the homicide rate remains about the same. In 1950 the homicide rate was 4.6 per 100,000 and in 2013 it was 4.5. So actually, there was a slight drop in the homicide rate.

In a world where God doesn’t exist so is morality, therefore humans are consumed in their acts of sins, since no God can hold them responsible for any sins.

People can hold people responsible. And again, somewhere in the vicinity of 70%-80% of people in America are Christian. So if all this immorality is taking place, I doubt it’s the 3% of atheists who are the majority of the problem.

Their lack of discipline and responsibility has driven our society to the brink of destruction. Becuase of our atheistic believes the men and women of God trying to do good in other nations in the name God, are continuously threatened with death.

Do good?

You mean the drone strikes killing innocent people? Or the wars America is currently engaged in, which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths overseas – many of which were innocent civilians? Or maybe how the President said he had talked to God, before he began a needless war in Iraq?

None of that has anything to do with world mistrust. It must be the atheists. The same atheists that don’t really hold any power in the U.S.A.

Atheism is what they fear not the religion of christianity but since the west has somehow infused them together in a new form of, what is now called democracy, those foreign nations do not want anything to do with it, therefore hindering the spread of the Godpel of Christ Jesus.

So…atheism is responsible for democracy?

What the hell?

And you think democracy is a bad thing? What would you prefer? A theocracy, maybe?

Their fear of eternal damnation for their sins, and desire to live a life free from the supposed constraints of religion, has driven them to adopt the so called perverse ideology of free will from God’s control, to a life of immorality that has turned our nation to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Wouldn’t FREE will mean you’re not under the control of anything, including a celestial dictator?

But let’s hope your God doesn’t decide to rain down death on America like he supposedly did against Sodom and Gomorrah:

23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.24 Then theLord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Eek! Maybe someone should teach Yahweh a little patience. Has He been hanging with atheists too long?

It’s not even September yet, and already the moaning and gnashing of teeth over Christmas has begun.

For example, this fellow mixes whining about Christmas and arguing against atheism’s apparent lack of logic into a heady brew of illogical arguments.

It is not going to be long until we are going to be hearing the rants and whines of atheist over Christmas trees.

He says, while ranting and whining over Christmas trees.

Atheists seem to be the only people who work so hard to disprove what they do not believe exists. Most people really do not care if someone believes in something they do not exist.

That’s because they don’t make up about 80% of the population and they aren’t trying to legislate their beliefs. I know it’s hard having to listen to people argue, debate and talk about why or why not people should believe in your disembodied super mind, but you might as well get used to it. We’re not going away.

Why do atheists worry about Christmas if it was not because they cannot stand the word Christ?

Yes. That’s exactly why. This is what hearing the word ‘Christ’ does to me.

It Burns! It burns!

What a silly argument.

I don’t have a problem with Christmas. I always have a Christmas tree and I enjoy the tradition. I don’t celebrate it because I think a deity was born of a virgin that day. I celebrate it because it’s a fun family tradition. The name ‘Christ’ does no more to me than the name ‘John’ or ‘Allen’ or ‘Cherie’.

If the atheists want to drum out either because of Christ they need to do their research on the histories of these traditions.

Speaking of traditions…the Christmas tree tradition you’re complaining about has its roots in older religions and predates Christianity.

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

There goes that theory. Christmas is a mishmash of traditions and religious symbolism that mostly predates Christianity.

So again this all leans to the concept that the atheist is having more of a personal problem with God than with the traditions of Christmas or the Christmas tree.

Wait for it…

But the actions of the atheist do not support the idea that their argument is with God but rather with Christianity.

WTF! Are we against Christianity or God?

I’m so confused.

It’s enough to drive a man to pray.

I do not hear them saying that allah does not exist.

I don’t think Allah exists.

You happy?

I do not hear them saying that any other term of a deity does not exist.

I don’t think any deity exists. I think they’re all made up by humans. I don’t believe any of the thousands of Gods that have been worshiped throughout our history as a species are real. Odin is as believable to me as Yahweh.

Their only problem seems to be with Christianity.

No. I also have problems with any religion that I think teaches bad ideas. I’m entitled to that opinion and I’ll listen to opposing views about those same ideas. I also have problems with things like atheist bloggers being attacked and brutally murdered for simply voicing their views online.

The knock on the door came as her husband tapped at his computer. She opened the door to a strange man who said the landlord had sent him to look at the apartment.

The man was perhaps 20 years old, thin and dressed in a black T-shirt and blue jeans. He walked around twice, then stood in front of the kitchen and began mashing buttons on his mobile phone.

Moments later, three people barged into the apartment, brandishing a gleaming chapati, a rectangular cleaver made to splinter bone. They said nothing, instead moving straight toward Mr. Chatterjee, who had come to the bedroom door.

With their first swing, they severed parts of one hand. Chunks of his fingers fell to the floor.

“Who are you guys?” was all Mr. Chatterjee could manage before an attacker brandishing a pistol pushed Ms. Asa Moni onto the apartment’s veranda. “Save us! Save us!” she screamed.

But the attack was viciously efficient. The men left within minutes, Mr. Chatterjee’s head almost completely severed from his body.

Believe me when I say I have a problem with that.

I can also voice my dissent whenever I hear an idea I don’t agree with, including God belief and all the rules that usually come with it. And I can also agree with religious sentiments I might agree with, even if I don’t agree with the actual belief in their deity of choice.

One question I like to ask those who think that everything is supposed to be held and measured is: where is the mind? I am not talking about the brain. I am talking about the mind.

Um, no. That’s the brain. Not sure what this ‘mind’ is that you’re talking about. Is it another magical part of our anatomy?

Also, if everything is as ancient as they claim why did Neil Armstrong step into a ¼ inch of lunar dust? Armstrong was supposed to have sunk in to the lunar dust. (I guess the maid came.)

What the?

I don’t even know what this means. Are you saying God came around with a broom and cleaned up the dust? Or that a Daredevil (I had to work the devil in somewhere!) came along and magically prevented the dust from arriving?

But seriously, why do you believe he should have sunk into dust?

If there is not God then what is the fuss about? If there is a God, and they know it, then that is a different matter.

Because beliefs affect actions and a crap load of people believe in the Christian dogma and the Christian God. Also, religion touches a lot of different facets of our society and it’s pretty fascinating as a topic.

A blog I follow recently (August 19) published a blogging 101 tips post that had some great ideas for bloggers. If you have time, follow the link to read it. It’s well worth the look.

In it she gave her opinion about how often you should post.

She said:

If you’re a serious blogger, you should write at least one article a day. If you only post once a month or once a year, people aren’t going to bother to keep checking your blog for new material (of course, not all bloggers care about visibility and are writing primarily for themselves and that’s okay too, but if you’re that kind of blogger, you have no use for this article anyway).

There will be days you can’t think of anything original or are just too tired to write, so then it’s okay to reblog someone else’s post, post a video you like, a funny or attractive photograph, a joke, a meme, or what have you. But make sure you do post original material often. People will lose interest in a blog that’s nothing but a compendium of other people’s material.

I might be *gasp* a serious blogger, since I try to post once per day.

Oh wait! I don’t usually post on weekends. I’m not a serious blogger yet, ladies and gentlemen!

But I totally get what she’s saying. I think it does help to keep your blog healthy if you’re constantly adding new content. Once a day generally works for me, although I sometimes skip a day because *shrug* life tends to get in the way.

I should probably post ahead when I have time and put it on auto-publish, but I don’t bother doing that. Of course, Lucky Otter has more subscribers (Oh, how I hate the ‘follower’ title!) than I do so I’d listen to her over trying out my lazy blogging method.

*Mesmerizing voice* Do as I say, not as I do.

I’m not going to lie and say I don’t like subscribers or that I don’t care about them. I do. If I didn’t, I’d make this blog private and do my own thing.

However, I try to write once per day more because I find enjoyment in it. Sometimes I’ll post twice and sometimes I won’t post at all. I do try to post (at the very least) every third day so that there is a fairly steady flow of new content for people to read if they so choose. I try to mix up the content between personal posts, interest pieces, religious and non-religious stuff and pictures – mostly of my baby boy, Dexter.

See what they make me do?

So how often do you post and does it work for you?

Personally, I think if you’re posting just to grow your blog, it might mean you lose interest. It starts to feel like a job, rather than a labor of love. Still, I think if you like to post once or more times per day, you should definitely do so.

So thanks for the tips, Otter, and for anyone reading, feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section.